is meant to serve as the lead-up to the last entry in the Kingdom Hearts Dark Seeker saga — Kingdom Hearts III.

One portion of the collection (and be sure to read IGN's Kingdom Hearts 2.8 review) in particular, 0.2 Birth By Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage, offers more than just table setting. It delivers some important insight into what to possibly expect from the long-awaited sequel in the series. From gameplay to the story, Aqua’s journey through the Dark World is the closest we've come to playing Kingdom Hearts III, and here's what that experience tells us about what's to come for Sora, Mickey, and the rest of the gang.

Story and gameplay spoilers ahead for those who have not finished Final Chapter Prologue's new chapter, A Fragmentary Passage.

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Combat

Every Kingdom Hearts game has made tweaks to the franchise’s combat formula, from the alterations to how magic is used to entire changes in format (see the surprisingly fun card-based battle system in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories).

A Fragmentary Passage’s take on the combat system feels like a smooth, streamlined blend of some of the franchise’s best fighting options. Aqua’s abilities won’t likely mirror Sora’s in Kingdom Hearts 3 exactly — Drive Forms look to be back, and certainly different commands and magic will be included to vary up that full game's adventure.

But the hints of just how free-flowing, fun, and powerful Kingdom Hearts III will feel are on display in A Fragmentary Passage. The Birth By Sleep followup doesn't use any of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance's Flowmotion abilities, for example, but controlling Aqua can oftentimes feel just as fluid, especially when magic is mixed into that mobility (a Blizzaga spell can make the environment skate-able, for example). It also does away with Dream Drop Distance's clunky command deck format, which proved more cumbersome than intuitive to that game's movement system. And we've still yet to play new additions like III's Attraction Flow system seen in previous trailers.

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Level Design

Worlds across the Kingdom Hearts franchise has been… well, sporadic in their quality. Depending on each platform and its technical limitations, Kingdom Hearts' levels have ranged from visually dynamic, layered experiences to relatively simple and clean collections of rooms or outdoor areas. Both numbered entries have offered more expansive and interesting worlds, and a Fragmentary Passage continues that trend.

The Dark World lacks any true Disney charm, but that's understandable — Cinderella’s castle has been overrun by darkness, after all. But it’s still an imaginatively-designed world that frequently switches things up while also creating more platforming and exploration opportunities than worlds in games like Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep or Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days have.

Aqua’s journey through thorny brushes and a dilapidated town square stretches both far and high. Treasures are hidden around winding paths, and battles can range from the ground level to heights far above. (And if you're looking for all of the Dark World's secrets, IGN's Kingdom Hearts 2.8 guide can help.)

This design not only makes for far more interesting combat opportunities but also incites a more engaging style of play. The scope of the Dark World, when coupled with the few scant teases we’ve seen of Kingdom Hearts 3’s worlds like those based on Big Hero 6 and Tangled, offers some hope that Kingdom Hearts 3’s environments will be aiming for a grandeur that harkens back to the franchise's best levels.

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New Side Missions

Though much of Aqua’s journey will feel familiar to Kingdom Hearts stalwarts, gameplay additions like a customizable outfit and optional objectives deliver some fresh twists to Aqua's adventure.

Aqua can complete a number of combat and exploration-based missions (defeating so many enemies with a certain spell type or creating an ice bridge and skating over it, for example), which unlock new options for Aqua’s wardrobe. It doesn’t drastically affect the story or gameplay, but it’s a fun bonus encourages the player to experiment with all of Aqua’s abilities.

Though Sora’s powers in different Drive Forms can be tied to his costume, and his appearance can change based on the Disney world, being able to outfit him, Donald, and Goofy with accessories and different patterns could go a long way toward making players to both fully explore every world and utilize the set of skills players will have access to in Kingdom Hearts III.

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Story

Full spoilers follow for the end of A Fragmentary Passage. Don’t read on if you haven’t completed it.

The epilogue scene is, in the game’s Theater mode, titled “2.9 — The First Volume,” and returns to the present timeline. There, Mickey and Riku decide to go save Aqua from the Dark World, while Kairi heads off from Yen Sid’s tower to train with Lea (the human Axel previously was) to become a keyblade master. Watch the full scene here:

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Shortly after, Sora, Donald, and Goofy appear before Yen Sid, who notes that Sora has lost much of his ability after being tempted with the darkness. Still, Sora is the only one with the power to unite the guardians of light and stop this ultimate evil, according to Yen Sid, and so the three venture off in the Gummi Ship to train. And where are they heading? Why, Olympus Coliseum, which has been a major world in both numbered Kingdom Hearts games.

There’s a lot to unpack there, especially considering the title. Before 2.8’s official announcement, a project called Kingdom Hearts 2.9 was rumored to exist. While it’s easy to assume 2.8 became that prologue project, the numbering of 2.9 is clearly being used to bridge the gap to Kingdom Hearts III.

The scene's title, “The First Volume,” also suggests this is the first step toward something greater. Kingdom Hearts 2.9 could be a collection of mini-sequences coming out ahead of Kingdom Hearts 3, or the use of “volume” could simply suggest Kingdom Hearts 3 will be presented in some episodic, chapter-by-chapter form.

Whatever the titling eventually comes to mean, the scene itself certainly suggests an obvious starting point for Kingdom Hearts 3, or at the very least Sora’s side of it. (Riku and Mickey heading off to find Aqua could indicate a playable portion featuring these characters as well.) Square has already revealed Kingdom Hearts 3 screenshots that look to take place in an Olympus-like setting, and the end of A Fragmentary Passage indicates Sora’s story will pick up right here, as he trains to regain his abilities alongside Hercules (and probably Phil...I really hope Phil is there).

Jonathon Dornbush is an Associate Editor for IGN who gets more excited by the day to replay the entire Kingdom Hearts franchise when it releases on PS4. Find him talking about KH, Gilmore Girls, Fast and Furious, and more pop culture that doesn't make sense when listed together @jmdornbush.

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